Hawkins Placed on Watch List for Fred Mitchell Award

Chicago, Ill. – August 18, 2009 – Junior place kicker Jesse Hawkins (Georgetown, Ky. / Scott County) of the Heidelberg University football team not only excels on the field, but in the classroom and for his efforts has been placed on the watch list for the Fred Mitchell Outstanding Place Kicker Award. Hawkins is one of 18 place kickers that have been highlighted for the honor.
 
Starting with the 2009 season, the annual Fred Mitchell Outstanding Place Kicker Award, also referred to as the Fred Mitchell Award, will be given to the top collegiate place kicker among the approximately 150 NCAA Division II and 240 NCAA Division III football teams. The award is named for Fred Mitchell, the record-setting place kicker, Wittenberg University Hall of Famer, author, philanthropist and Chicago Tribune sport columnist. The honor will be given based on excellence on the football field and in the community. The award winner will receive scholarship funds and the Fred Mitchell Award trophy will be presented by the selection committee in February at the National Football Foundation Chicago Metro Chapter Awards Ceremony.
 
Hawkins is entering his third year as the primary place kicker for Heidelberg. He is a two-year letter winner and a two-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference honoree. He made the two longest field goal’s in school history (48 and 47 yards) and sits only five field goals shy of setting Heidelberg’s all-time record. Hawkins’ 14 field goals in 2007 set the single-season record. He earned Ohio College Football All-Ohio Preseason Second Team honors and is a two-time Ohio Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week.
 
In the community Hawkins is a volunteer at the Seneca County School of Opportunity, he is active in his hometown’s youth group which has grown into helping support Habitat for Humanity and he assists with Campus Ministry program events.